Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Phillies re-signing Aaron Nola, the Braves signing Reynaldo López, trading for Aaron Bummer, and rearranging their roster, the Cardinals signing Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson, the Padres hiring Mike Shildt, Shohei Ohtani swearing teams to secrecy about his free-agent visits, and NHK’s Ohtani documentaries. Then (53:16) they talk to Vanessa Ivy Rose, host of six-part podcast Reclaimed: The Forgotten League and author of Hall of Fame DNA: The Legacy of Norman “Turkey” Stearnes, about the underappreciated greatness of her grandfather, Turkey Stearnes, telling the story of the Negro Leagues, and the past, present, and future of Black baseball. Audio intro: Guy Russo, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: The Shirey Brothers, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to InstaGraphs post on Nola Link to FG post on Nola Link to FG post on López Link to FG post on the Bummer trade Link to FG post on the Wright trade Link to team 40-man counts Link to FG post on Lynn Link to MLBTR on three Cards starters Link to Mozeliak’s strikeouts quote Link to defensive efficiency ranking Link to MLBTR on Shildt’s firing Link to MLBTR on Shildt’s hiring Link to Passan’s Ohtani report Link to Ohtani dog info Link to dog breed details Link to 2018 NHK doc Link to 2021 NHK doc Link to 2021 NHK doc (alt link) Link to EW on youth baseball Link to Teasley EW episode Link to Nettie Stearnes clips Link to The Forgotten League feed 1 Link to The Forgotten League feed 2 Link to Vanessa’s website Link to Turkey history Link to more Turkey history Link to Vanessa on Turkey Link to Turkey photo Link to info on Turkey plaque Link to FG Negro Leagues leaderboard Link to Hall of Stats ranking Link to B-Ref Negro Leagues stats Link to Turkey at Seamheads Link to Turkey at the NLBM Link to HR/3B leaders Link to The Athletic on stat integration Link to MLB.com on stat integration Link to MLB The Show mode Link to Secret Santa sign-up sheet  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Facebook Group  Twitter Account  EW Subreddit  Effectively Wild Wiki  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Get Our Merch!  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Source

Discussion on unanimous MVP voting, appreciation for Shohei O'Tani's dog, debating dog-friendly spaces, exploration of Shohei Ohtani's baseball career documentary, mindset of a talented baseball player, interpretation of faith and cultural shifts, reflecting on the end of a career, MLB Trade Rumors' predictions and draft decisions, predicting contracts for Marcus Strowman and Jungkoo Lee, choices for centerfield defense and Patreon perks.

MLB owners approving A's move to Las Vegas, new time-saving measures, salaries of David Stearns and Craig Counsell, private flights to attract free agents, Dubai-based league Baseball United, sports washing and government investments in sports, ethical implications of investing in rapidly changing countries, and analyzing the increase in winning percentage for teams that score first in postseason games.

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a low-suspense awards week, the vastly varying paths to being a major league manager, the latest sign of the Angels player-development apocalypse, Brian Cashman on Giancarlo Stanton, the death of Padres owner Peter Seidler, Michael Jordan’s baseball career on For All Mankind, how much holding runners matters, and how to judge how many championships a franchise “should” have won, then Stat Blast (1:08:56) about postseason baserunning, scoring first in October, winning rings without playing a lot, and players who lost a lot of WAR, plus a PSA (1:31:02) about EW Secret Santa. Audio intro: Daniel Leckie, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Nate Emerson, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to Posnanski on unanimous awards Link to Meg’s preseason predictions Link to “Imperial phase” wiki Link to Sheehan on managers Link to story on college-coach managers Link to Blum on Percival Link to Cashman’s comments Link to Stanton’s agent’s response Link to NYT Seidler obit Link to FAM Jordan image Link to Petriello on running prevention Link to the EW wiki on Lester Link to running prevention leaderboards Link to BP piece on championships Link to Topps Now Link to Rob Mains on October baserunning Link to Rob on comebacks Link to “scoring first” sheet Link to Ryan Nelson’s Twitter Link to low-playing-time-rings sheet Link to Bellinger on EW Link to Gore on EW Link to “lost WAR” sheet Link to FG on Doumit’s framing Link to Secret Santa sign-up sheet  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Facebook Group  Twitter Account  EW Subreddit  Effectively Wild Wiki  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Get Our Merch!  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Source

Ben Clemens, FanGraphs writer, joins hosts Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley to discuss the free-agent market. They also talk about baseball players deemed sexiest by People magazine, the effectiveness of small ball in baseball, assessing foreign professional hitters and potential landing spots, and Cody Bellinger's performance and projection.

The hosts discuss their experiences at the winter meetings in baseball, the approach to Shohei Otani's free agency, the communication and implementation of analytics within the New York Yankees organization, Pete Alonso's prepared lines, analyzing the comedic style of a sports agent, understanding the process of electing free agency in MLB, the changing age demographics of baseball fans, and the upcoming free agent class in baseball.

Craig Counsell's surprising move to the Cubs, emotions and motivations of professional athletes, rising salaries of baseball managers, potential player departures and off-season speculations, perceptions of Aaron Boone, load management in the NBA, World Baseball Classic frequency, various baseball topics discussed.

Discussion on the challenges of accessing NPB games and engaging with international baseball. Exploring the significance of in-person scouting and pitch counts. Analyzing Joey Votto's future and potential retirement. Naming an award for players who win both a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger. Exploring a pitcher repeating a start in a time loop. Pondering the potential expansion in MLB. Discussing Eduardo Rodriguez's opt-out and debating a playoff lottery system. Highlighting the dangers of introducing a lottery system in baseball. Discussing the power of team owners and the most valuable hitter per pound. Exploring the shortest players in baseball in terms of WAR per inch and pound.

MLB teams' likelihood of winning their first championship, financial challenges, transition periods, unpredictable factors in football games, Atlanta Braves Foundation potential as a criminal syndicate, community impact initiatives, Nelson Cruz's career & PEDs in baseball, fans' willingness to move on, potential changes & developments in baseball

Topics discussed in this podcast include covering the World Series, the Rangers' success and rebuild, the entertainment value of the playoffs, bullpen games, the influence of a World Series win on other teams, roster construction, the impact of high payroll, comparing the future prospects of the Diamondbacks and the Rangers, playoff success and fan expectations, and the role of luck and planning in achieving success.